Curriculum Maps

The Curriculum should be broad, balanced and relevant to the needs of the pupils. Furthermore, pupils should be encouraged to have positive attitudes to study and learning. Learning how to learn, in a rapidly changing world, is paramount. It is equally important that pupils are prepared for a broad approach to life in society, particularly at a time of greater national and international awareness through the media and the web.

From our starting point we have taken the decision to focus on the children learning core skills (English and Maths) and then replicating these over the curriculum. It is vital that these foundations are in place before the children move on. Details of the National can be found here: 

https://www.gov.uk/national-curriculum/key-stage-1-and-2 In Key Stage 1 phonics is taught using the Read Write Inc programme.  More information can be found here.

Spring 2024 Curriculum Maps

YEAR 1/2 CURRICULUM MAP - CLICK HERE TO VIEWYEAR 3/4 CURRICULUM MAP - CLICK HERE TO VIEWYEAR 5/6 CURRICULUM MAP - CLICK HERE TO VIEW

RECEPTION CURRICULUM MAP - CLICK HERE TO VIEW

NURSERY CURRICULUM MAP - CLICK HERE TO VIEW

The term Curriculum means everything that is taught in school; it is of concern not only to schools but also to parents,governors, The Local Authority and the wider community. At Axminster the curriculum is broad, balanced and matched to the children's  individual needs.  The areas of learning, which incorporate the National Curriculum core and foundation subjects, include - English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Music, Art, DT, French (MFL), PE, PHSE (including RSE).

Teaching Styles

A variety of teaching styles and strategies are used, ranging from work with the whole class to group work and work with individual children. We encourage independent learning which allows full personal development. Children frequently work together on individual tasks to help them to acquire the co-operative skills which will be relevant to their adult lives. Staff is aware of the different ways children learn and design the classroom activities to ensure all children are included.

They also aim to have stimulating and well-organised classrooms that provide the children with the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills i.e. communication, observation, study, problem solving, physical and practical, creative and imaginative, literary and numerical and personal and social.

SMSC

Spiritual, social, moral and cultural values are taught in assemblies and in discreet lessons but also permeate the whole of the curriculum.

Spiritual

English

  • Literature, including story and poetry that explores human experience and response to life and death.
  • Use of stillness and imagination in drama and other subjects to develop inner awareness.
  • Expressing feeling and emotions through verbal and written communication, knowing that words can influence feelings.

Mathematics

  • Enjoyment of and fascination by numbers, including the idea of infinity.
  • Reflecting on pattern and order as well as a sense of mystery and space.
  • Exploring the relationship of numbers, shape and objects and the possibility of inter-connectedness.
  • Sense of achievement and self-worth at appropriate levels of understanding

Science

  • Scientific links with a spiritual interpretation about the universe and life.
  • Using the school grounds for reflection on relationships between people and their environment.
  • Reflecting on the mystery of the natural world and physical worth, life cycles and growth.
  • Awareness of physical self as wonderful.

Design Technology

  • Sense of worth in human potential and achievement.
  • Designing cards for religious festivals.
  • Making holy books and other artefacts/special objects pleasure in physical constructions.
  • Art in design: taking

Information Communications Technology

  • Connectedness with people all over the world through the internet.
  • Using programmes to create poems and pictures.
  • Becoming independent and developing self-reliance.

History

  • Ideas of change and development and re-creation.
  • Understanding the importance of tradition to a community.
  • Sense of time and awareness of personal place within it.

Geography

  • How things came about, and a sense of wonder at the earth’s variety and order.
  • Developing self-awareness and relationships with other cultures and environments.
  • Appreciation of natural features e.g. lakes, woods

Art

  • Idea of beauty in art.
  • Appreciation of colour, shape and texture.
  • Religious and spiritual ideas expressed in, e.g. stained glass windows. 
  • Art as a means of expressing feelings, imagination and expressive thought.

Music

  • Making music by singing together, songs and hymns with instruments.
  • Listening to specific chosen pieces, and why people write music, e.g. Hallelujah chorus.
  • Identifying feelings and emotions associated with different types of music.
  • Using music as a background to times of quiet and reflection to develop awareness of the inner self.

Religious Education

  • Knowledge of religious reflection, humanist ideas and spiritual practices, e.g. worship.
  • Providing opportunities for experiencing space and silence to allow skills in reflection and awareness to develop.
  • Meeting others who belong to other traditions.
  • Providing opportunities for experiencing awe, wonder and transcendence.

Physical Education

  • Spiritual awareness of body, its beauty and potential through activity and observation.
  • Movement to express feelings and emotions including dancing for joy.
  • Developing inner determination to do one’s best and recognise and develop one’s inner potential and strength.

Modern Foreign Languages

  • Awareness of the beauty inherent in another language.
  • The use of a different language to express thoughts slightly differently.

Social

English

  • Circle time skills in speaking and listening.
  • Social interaction through play.
  • Writing for and communicating with an audience.
  • Group drama work, reading and discussion of social issues in literature.
  • Stories to create awareness of a variety of life experiences, e.g. deafness.

Mathematics

  • Maths games for social interaction, taking turns and sharing.
  • Working in pairs and groups to gather information and solve problems.
  • Recognising maths skills as a tool for society.

Science

  • Investigation in groups, sharing skills and expertise.
  • Science as a cooperative activity requiring communication and interaction.
  • Science related to issues in society, e.g. alcohol abuse.

Design Technology

  • Designing with others.
  • Using technology to benefit others, e.g. handicapped.
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Working co-operatively.
  • Using data-handling skills to promote understanding of social issues.
  • Poster design for safety.

History

  • Exploring structures of society, including institutions, e.g. hospitals, hospices, work houses.
  • Looking at children past and present.
  • Understanding the influence of the past on the development of society today.

Geography

  • Local studies to raise awareness of different homes, communities and family groupings.
  • Local amenities: who are they for?
  • Human influence on the landscape/local economy.
  • Group fieldwork opportunities.

Art

  • Art as a means of learning about people and society.
  • Group collage.

Music

  • Taking part in performances.
  • Collaborative work and sharing resources.
  • Group singing and composition.

Religious Education

  • Knowing about and understanding the importance of family and traditions within religious faiths and social groups.
  • Study of ideas of community in humanism religions.
  • Researching charities and other religious and non-religious forms of social caring and responsibility.

Physical Education

  • Participation in traditional and creative dance and pair and group work in gymnastics.
  • Enjoyment of team games, showing co-operation, respect for others and their needs.

Modern Foreign Languages

  • Comparing lifestyles and attitudes.
  • Recognising similarities and differences between cultures, in terms of language use as well as social behaviour and issues.
  • The ability to communicate directly with someone who speaks a different language.

Moral

English

  • Discussion of right and wrong – moral issues exemplified in children’s literature.
  • Skills of listening and forming evaluative judgements in discussion.
  • Circle time discussion of behaviour and relationships.
  • Dramatising situations which raise moral questions.

Mathematics

  • Encouraging a sense of personal responsibility for their own learning in class and through homework.
  • Encouraging honesty, not cheating.
  • Awareness of manipulation of data statistics.

Science

  • Thinking about experiments and investigations and their outcomes for humans.
  • Caring for living things.
  • Discussing issues raised by scientific discovery and progress, e.g. genetic engineering.

Design Technology

  • Learning co-operation with others through activities.
  • Technology as helpful and constructive as well as potentially destructive.

Information and Communications Technology

  • Independent working to develop a sense of integrity and trustworthiness.
  • Discussion of moral issues, e.g. correct information, pornography.

History

  • Developing awareness of local, national and world issues.
  • Encounter with ideas and encouragement to think through  a moral stance on issues, e.g. war and peace.

Geography

  • Developing moral responsibility to care for the environment.
  • Awareness of human exploitation, e.g. child labour in developing countries. Poverty amid affluence.
  • Awareness of misuse of earth’s resources and human responses, e.g. recycling and deforestation.

Art

  • Interpreting pictures which put a moral point of view.

Music

  • Appreciation of music and respecting the ideas and judgements of others.
  • Learning about and from the lives of composers.

Religious Education

  • Stories with a moral message from other world religions.
  • Ideas of right and wrong behaviour in world religions.
  • Individual and corporate  responsibility within religious and other communities.
  • Developing skills of listening, respecting and evaluative judging.

Physical Education

  • Taking part in team games and obeying rules.
  • Awareness of others’ needs, particularly physical.
  • Encouragement to cheer, celebrate achievement and shake hands at the end of a game.
  • Developing a sense of fair play, not hurting anyone.

Modern Foreign Languages

  • Stories with a moral message from other countries.
  • Current affairs and human responses to them within different countries.
  • Awareness and understanding of fellow human beings living different lifestyles in different countries.

Cultural

English

  • Stories and literature form other cultures.
  • Awareness of issues such as stereotyping and equal opportunities in literature.
  • Language and meanings in different cultures.

Mathematics

  • Creating Islamic patterns, rangoli patterns and using Roman numerals.
  • Careful choice of resources and examples to include references to other cultures.
  • Counting in a different language.

Science

  • Differences and similarities between groups of humans.
  • Animals from different countries.
  • Creation stories from different cultures alongside current scientific thinking.
  • Role of science in different cultures and religions.
  • Scientific development in relation to others – water supplies, new varieties of flowers and food crops.

Design Technology

  • The effectiveness of very simple technology in some cultures.
  • Instruments from different countries, e.g. cooking utensils.
  • Designs for different climates, e.g. sun hats.

Information and Communications Technology

  • Assessing information about cultures by using technology  etc.
  • Direct contact with children in other cultures through internet.

History

  • The story of development of other cultures.
  • Stories of religious leaders and their influence on cultures, both positive and negative.
  • History of contribution of other cultures to science and maths.

Geography

  • Study of people – especially children living in different countries and comparison with own cultural context.
  • Developing an awareness and appreciation of different styles of everyday life.
  • The influence of environment on societies.

Art

  • Pictures from different cultures, e.g. African art.
  • Visiting galleries and exhibitions to view art from different cultures.
  • Art as an expression of culture, e.g. Nativity pictures on Nativity cards.

Music

  • Music from different cultures, e.g. Calypso songs.
  • Listening to and using instruments from other cultures.

Religious Education

  • The study of different religions as part of a cultural tradition.
  • Meeting people from a variety of faiths and cultures, and visiting places of worship.
  • Exploring how religious and humanist ideas are expressed in different cultures, e.g. food, dress, festivals.

Physical Education

  • Dance as an expression of culture, e.g. Indian folk.

Modern Foreign Languages

  • The study of different food and eating habits, literature, leisure pursuits, fashion and life styles as part of a cultural tradition.
  • Comparisons of attitudes, e.g. to schools and schooling in different countries.